Quiet for an Overcrowded Schedule - Your Nightly Prayer - July 6th

: Follow devo Follow this devotional Follow author Follow this author

Quiet for an Overcrowded Schedule
Your Nightly Prayer
by Kyle Norman

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' - Mark 6:31

SOMETHING TO PONDER

I write this reflection while sitting in an airport. It’s the third work trip that I have taken in the past several months. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, and I love the opportunities before me. But there are times when the demands of going here and there, speaking to this person and that, take their toll. Managing my schedule seems more like a circus act – all the balls are in the air, and I am just waiting for one of them to fall. Have you ever experienced anything like that? What makes an overcrowded schedule so difficult is that it fills up with good things. Every appointment means meeting with someone we value; each task gives us life. We enjoy the things that fill up our time. And yet, somewhere amid it all, our busyness begins to work against us. What we do begins to drown out who we are to be with.

The disciples experience this. On the heels of an epic ministry trip, they return longing to tell Jesus all that they had done. But because of the crowds, the disciples didn’t have the time, nor the space, to spend time with Jesus. And so, in love and grace, Jesus creates the time, and he creates the space. Jesus leads them into a boat, and together they begin to sail across the sea of Gennesaret. Scripture doesn’t record what took place in those uninterrupted moments, but we can be sure that Jesus blessed the disciples with his presence.

This night can be one of those moments for you as well. The demands of the day are completed; What has been done has been done, what has not been done has not been done, and tomorrow's tasks are yet to arrive. In this moment, Jesus whispers 3 things to you.

“Come away with me.”
Can you hear this invitation of longing? Jesus desires to be with you. This moment is not about what you can do or accomplish; it is about who you dwell with. Jesus invites you to himself. This moment is about opening yourself to His Spirit so that He can speak His word into your life.
Jesus invites you to be “by yourself.”
In this invitation, we hear the call to put down whatever we hold. Whatever burdens we carry on our shoulders, whatever tasks we hold in our minds, we give them to Jesus so that we can be in this moment, alone, with Him. Jesus wants uninterrupted time with you.
“Get some rest.”
The purpose of being with Jesus is not efficiency or task management. This moment isn’t about preparing for tomorrow or managing the stress of the day. It is about rest, the soul-deep, heart-lifting, spirit-enriching salvation rest that only Jesus can answer. As you rest your body, Jesus invites you to rest your spirit in his presence and to let him bless you.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Jesus,
I praise you for the constancy of your presence. You are always with me. But there are times when the busyness before me takes my attention away from you. When I get too focused on what I am to do, or where I am to go, I forget that the call to live my life with you. Help me live my life in your presence, carrying you wherever I go. Help me see the tasks before me as invitations to join you in your work.
Lord, I thank you for your invitation to join you in rest. As I quiet myself this evening, ease my mind and heart from all the stress that I carry about my upcoming agenda. Help me not to fret about the things that are yet to come, but trust that all things take place in your presence. Help me to breathe in your spirit, hear your word, and receive the rest that only you can provide. And tomorrow, when I rise to the tasks before me, help me enter each of those tasks in a spirit of prayer.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

Is there an area of busyness or task management that draws your focus away from Jesus? How might you invite Jesus into those moments?
Busyness sometimes arises out of a refusal to say “No”. Where might God be inviting you to refuse a task or deny an appointment?
Jesus invites the disciples into uninterrupted time with Jesus. How might you schedule some uninterrupted time with Jesus?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AndreyPopov

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

For the one who is weary without answers. If you’re still showing up and still praying — but starting to wonder if it’s working — this 90-day devotional will meet you right there, with honesty and Scripture in place of easy answers.